School Clubs

I was thinking about school clubs earlier today, a little ruffled underneath about how Japanese schools expect students to be in one club only, and to be in that one club for all of their middle school and high school years. This is in great contrast to the USA, where we are all about the well-rounded student. Colleges and universities just might pass up the student who only ever participated in a single club activity, despite having amazing grades, in the USA.

However, it occurred to me, as I wondered how on Earth this benefitted these kids, only learning one skill, doing only one club, that it is absolutely preparing them for their futures. When Japanese kids graduate college, and are interviewing with companies, they – now, this is traditionally, you see – are hiring for life. Those kids are expected to remain loyal, and to stay within the company that first hires them after college. So, doing the same one thing every day for years in their single club absolutely prepares them to go to the same single job at the same company for the rest of their lives. It’s just nothing like the USA, making it so bizarre (and rather depressing) to me, someone who was in upward of 15 clubs in high school alone.
Post-a-day 2017